I have cruised on Carnival many times as well as other cruise lines and have no complaints. It was unfortunate what hapenned to this couple, but it was not anybody's fault. After the bomb threat, the captain's responsability is to ALL the passengers. I think what he did was the right thing to do under the circumstances.
They should be grateful that they got a refund.

TO ERNIE
Are you serious? They should be greatful that they got $1,000.oo back.
Com on, this company owes this couple alot more then that.
This was there wedding, not a few people going on a cruise that got inconvienced.
This was a DRILL,it was staged.
There is NO EXCUSE for them to ruin the wedding for this couple.
I have to wonder if you work for this pathtic cruise line.

The one cruise I took on a Carnival ship was a horrible nightmare and I sympathize with this couple. I would ask for a complete refund and if the cruise company refuses to send it, I would file suit for triple damages. The cruise line and the crew on that ship should be very ashamed of their behavior.

To Chloe Are you serious. Carnival owes these two NOTHING!!!!! This was there wedding, not a few people going on a cruise that got inconvienced. Again sorry but hardly afew people going on a cruise will be inconvienced more like over thousand. So they should have been inconivenced because it was her wedding. If her WEDDING WAS SO IMPORTANT, THAN GET MARRIED AT HOME THEN GO ON A CRUISE.

Why should the cruise line be accountable? Whatever scum bag called in a bomb threat is the one to blame. Once the passengers are on board the captain obviously had a schedule to keep. This couple must have been to cheap to actually take the cruise. Who just goes on board, gets married, then gets off before the ship sets sail? What a waste.

Those posting negative comments are simpletons. The cruise has 2,000 other guests that need to be serviced. If you wanted a princess wedding then spend the $20-$50 thousand dollars necessary. It sounds like what happpened to them was unfortunate but completely out of the cruiselines control. They can't delay the ship leaving and incur tens of thousands of dollars of incremental port fees just to make a $1,000 wedding perfect. Carnival is still a business and has shareholders to report to. Obviously the couple deserve a refund or redo, but all the anger and negativity you people are spewing is ridiculous. Get some therapy.

I would think that if I paid for a private room the cruise staff could keep the unwashed masses away from my buffet for 5 minutes while I had my reception!!! Because Lord knows, there's not nearly enough food to eat on a cruise (sarcasm added).

How inconsiderate are some of the posts on here saying they should have stayed at home if their wedding was that important. People get married in all sorts of weird and wonderful places these days, and if a cruise line offers a wedding package, they should be able to deliver - your wedding day is the most important day of your life and these people clearly paid a lot of money. Carnival were happy to take all of this money but didn't deliver the goods. Ok, the bomb threat was out of their control, but lots of other events in the chain that unravelled weren't.
I have read about plenty of successful ceremonies and packages at http://www.cruises.co.uk
These are cruise lines that can deliver what is asked of them! My only advice would be choose somebody other than the Amateurs at Carnival

Florida today reports: "Carnival officials said on Tuesday that they will fully compensate the couple for the wedding, which the Pidgeons say cost $2,500."

Carnival had to wait before docking because of a bomb threat. They had to wait because Carnival did not come in on time. If Carnival cannot provide and did not provide the services requested.... a full refund is in order.

Public relations actually dictates that Carnival should have gave them free passage for a once in a life time screw-up that was their fault or not. They spend much more than that on advertising and not giving as much as possible to make up for a lost once in a life time opportunity will hurt their business in dollars much more than the few dollars of fair. At least they were compensated for the wedding services they did not recieve and a lifetime memory they will later be able to laugh at.

If you are reading this because you were thinking of a dream wedding with a difference, don't let one horror story put you off a wedding at sea. Many people get married on the ocean and have a fantastic time.
You can find out all about weddings at sea at http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-holidays/luxury-cruises/

I really feel bad for the couple. Generally Cruise wedding are memorable events but as it turned out, your ceremony was disturbed by lot of chaos. But I feel the reimbursement amount is too little considering the expenses would have actually been.

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BARBARA HIJEK has spent the best years of her life doing news research in Florida, the most news-warpy place in the universe. She's still passed all her drug tests and remains Prozac free. Barbara graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in her hometown. Talk about culture shock! She is single and has lived in Fort Lauderdale for the past decade. Prior to that Barbara lived in Clearwater for a dozen years. Truly a bicoastal Floridian. And she still can't figure out which coast is wackier...